• Striker says lack of midweek action has hampered Arsenal start • ‘I play once a week or have a long time between games’

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang says his Uefa-enforced absence from the Europa League has hampered his attempts to find an early rhythm at Arsenal. The striker, who joined for a club record £56m from Borussia Dortmund on the final day of the January transfer window, is cup-tied in the Europa League – which is a huge frustration to him.

Arsène Wenger, the Arsenal manager, has criticised the Uefa rule and he believes it will be scrapped in the future, largely because of the massive sums of money involved in mid-season transfers. Aubameyang played for Dortmund in this season’s Champions League but they finished third in their group to drop into the knockout phase of the Europa League, where Arsenal are competing.